Adrien Rabiot to FC Barcelona: A solution or a problem?
Someone doesn't need to be an oracle to know that nothing is going right between French midfielder Adrien Rabiot and the PSG board. There are clear signs that both the Frenchman and the club are completely fed up with one another and both have reasons of their own.
The French club is sulking over the fact that Rabiot has rejected a contract renewal offer and his existing contract is going to expire this summer. But Rabiot's denial of renewal contract is not a blind shot in itself. The Frenchman's action is reportedly motivated by the interest showed by Barcelona in him.
Reports suggest that the Catalan giant is eager to bring Rabiot to Camp Nou from the past summer, and Rabiot's action indicates that he also fancies the Catalan club, at least according to PSG sporting director Antero Henrique who claimed that Barcelona already has a "backstage" contract with the midfielder.
From Barcelona's perspective, Rabiot is potentially a long-term replacement for either Busquets or more likely Rakitic, both of whom are already 30 years old and about to enter the twilight of their respective careers.
There is no doubt that the Frenchman is a top class midfielder but there are some other concerns which need attention. There are some signs that if the Frenchman does come to Camp Nou, the relation between him and the Catalan club is not going to be as smooth as it is looking right now.
There are two undesired situations which will potentially come up on the surface if Rabiot comes to Barcelona this year.
Attitude
The Frenchman already showed some signs of inflated ego, both to his club and his country. A prime example of this is his unprofessional behaviour before the World Cup.
When the 23 man squad of France team was announced to represent the country in Russia, Rabiot was not able to make it but he was included in the list of reserves. But instead of sitting in the reserves, he requested to not be included at all, which does not look professional by any stretch of the imagination.
There is a chance that he pulled out due to some personal reasons or some other factors which we don't know anything about but if that's not the case, then Barcelona must have to be prepared for his potentially upcoming antics. If the late entry of Dembele in training is a headache for the club, then something on the scale of Rabiot's World Cup antics is nothing short of a migraine.
Impedance to the progress of youth players
Barcelona right now probably has the best crop of young players since the batch which consisted of players like Cesc Fabregas, Gerard Pique, Pedro and of course the one and only Lionel Messi.
But, unfortunately, after the Guardiola's era, the club is showing reluctance in promoting the youth players to the first team and the signing of Rabiot is not any different. The Frenchman is going to be another barrier in the way of young players.
Even if we assume that he will definitely become a vital cog of midfield for the next decade, the fans are still in favour of the La Masia players. They again want to witness a team filled with homegrown players and dominating the world football like in the Guardiola's era. That is why there is a high chance that the signing of Rabiot may not go down well with the fans.
In conclusion, the board may want to sign Rabiot as a solution for ageing Busquets and Rakitic but they have to be careful because there is every possibility that, instead of providing the solution, this signing can create the problems of its own.